Wheeled carrier



June 21', 1949. E. K. FOSBENDER WHEELED CARRIER Filed Oct. 14, 1946 Patented June 21, 1949 WHEEEED CARRIER" Elmer; K; .EosbendemLos Angeles,-; Calif, assignonto Boy-power, Inc-.,.Los. Angeles,Cali;, acorporationof California Application-October 14, 1946; Serial No: 703,203

7; Claims (Cl. 280-44) This invention relates to auhandtmclcandzis particularly. directed. toward. apparatus for litting; and moving heavy objectssuclras, forex ample, refrigerators; pianos; boxed or cratedimachinery, and so forth. It is particularly'directed to a hand truck-having'reiatively movable: parts whereby aload carrying frame may-be lifted relative to. floor contaot rollers.

The principal object of this:- invention isto provide a hand truck aorlifting; carrier ofz'this type having improved. actuatingrrmechan-ismr for lifting the-load;

Another object-"is to provide"a..device ofthis type. incorporating cam .and lfollower'means for raising the load carrying support;

Another object is: toprovi'de a dvice in which the cam and follower means are auto matically self-locking.

Other obj ectsand advantages will appearshere inafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1' is a front elevation of awhand truck embodying a preferred form'of'my invention Figure 2 is aside elevation: thereof.

Figure 3 is a view similar tdFigure Zbntpartly broken away and illustrating the-parts the (iii-- f'erentpositions;

Figure 4- is a side'elevation. partlybroken away, showing two hand tru'cks embodyingamyinventi'on and cooperating to support a l'oadlbetween them.

Referring toe-the drawings, a frame-generally designated IU' com-prises a pain of tubular" side elements Il'and' l2mounted parallelrelation and: provided I a cross --brace F3 and lower support I4. A bumper bar I-5' alsoconnects the side elements II and I 2- together by means of the struts I6 and I l. The-side elements I I and I2, cross brace I3, lower support I4, bumper bar I5 and supporting struts are preferably welded together to form a single integral-.unitacomprlsing the frame ID. A supporting-foot piece-lads detachably secured to the lower. support I4 by means of bolts I9. A plurality of bolt holes 20 may be provided in the lower support I4 orimthe foot piece It, wherebythelfootrpiece maybe secured to the-lower support-at: any :one of several elevations. A secondary cross brace 2| integrally connects the side elements I I and I2 adjacent the lower support I4, and attached to this cross brace 2I by any convenient means such as Welding is an inverted angle clip 22.

Slidably mounted within the tubular elements II and I2 are the posts 23 and 24 which may be of tubular or solid construction and which carry swivelimounted rollers. 25 at their lower-ends. At the upper ends'of theposts 23- and.24t areseoured stationaryblocks orrfollower elements .2:6=.and=v 21. The upper ends of the side elements I.I- and't'l2 are cutsaway'at 218 and; 29 to provide .aslotr or clearance in: which the follower blocks: 2fi-and 21 mayreciprocate. Bearingsv 3.0 and GI secured :to the upper ends'of the: side elementsttlrand I2 rotatably support the transverse shaft. 312. On opposite ends of the; shafta 32. are secured eccentric-discs 33 and 34- whichi act as'zcam,;memhers and which serve in cooperative: engagement with the-:followerblocks 2'6 andzp2l tmraiserandlemer the fram'eiffl relativeatothe'posts23 and; A manual 1y" operablezlever-fii is: secured; tothe shaft 32 for rotating the eccentric discs 13-3rand 13-43. The lever-35- is arranged to engage-the cross brace: I3 to limit: clockwise movement of the lever, as viewed irrEiglne 2.

Intoperation, appair of hand trucks of the-type described; are used: in-cooperation to support a loadbetweenthem. The lever 35' is raised to an elevatedxposition as' shown in. Figure 3, thereby allowing the-frame I0 and foot piece I-8to gravitate: to-its lowest position. The foot piece I8 whichmaybe provided with a series-of small projections'v-afi tor engaging a wooden. packing-case is' then engaged beneath the load. The-lever 35 isthenturnedclockwise from the position shown in Figure-3 to the position. shownin Figure 2, which action: serves to rotate the. eccentric disc 34-and.hence raise the frame Ill and foot piece IB upwardly with respect to the posts 23and 24, tlsierebyi raising the load. The bumper bar I5 I engages the. sideof theeload as shown in Figure '2.

other hand truck is engaged with the other end of the. load .asshown in Figure-4-in the same manneras. thatiust described. Laterally extending. I hand grips 31 -may be provided on the sideelements II- and I2; if desired. for the-pun pose otfacil-itating: movement of. the hand trucks whileloacled. The rollers 25: are preferabl-yof swivel-.mounted typesothat the load. may be moved. in. desired direction.

Thean-gular relationship of the eccentric disc 34 and the lever 35 is such that the. disc 34-causes upper-movement of. the frarm. has the. lever 34 is turnedoclockwise from the' positionshownin Eigureifi to that shown inFigure 2. However, the point of greatest elevation of the frame III is reached before the lever 35 strikes the crOSs brace I3 and therefore the disc passes over center, and the frame moves down slightly before the lever 35 contacts the brace I3. It will be understood that this provides an automatic self-locking feature so that once the lever is moved to the limit of its travel it is automatically maintained in that position by the load without further attention or effort on the part of the operator. When it is desired to lower the load, the operator moves the lever 35 from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3. The mechanical advantage provided by the eccentric disc mounting enables an operator to lift a heavy packing case or other load with the expenditure of minimum effort.

If desired, the platform or blade of a conventional two-wheel hand truck, not shown, may be engaged below the angle clip 22 to raise the rollers 25 from the floor in order to support the load on the other hand truck. Such an operation has been found to be useful in transferring a heavy packin case from a loading dock to the bed of a.

truck.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a lifting carrier of the class described, the combination of a frame having spacer parallel side elements, posts slidably mounted on the side elements, a roller carried at the lower end.

of each post, a lifting foot on the frame, the upper ends of the side elements being longitudinally notched to define side-opening recesses, bearings at the extreme upper ends of said side elements, a shaft rotatably mounted in said bearings, cams fixed on the shaft operable in said recesses, follower elements on the posts adapted to be en-- gaged with the cams, and means to turn the shaft.

2. In a lifting carrier of the class described, the combination of a frame having spaced parallel side elements, posts slidably mounted on the side elements, a roller carried at the lower end of each post, a lifting foot on the frame, the upper ends of the side elements being longitudinally notched to define side-opening recesses, bearings at the extreme upper ends of said side elements, a shaft rotatably mounted in said bearings, circular discs fixed eccentrically on the shaft, follower elements on the upper ends of the posts operable in said recesses and adapted to cooperate with the discs, and means to turn said shaft, whereby the disks and follower elements act to raise the frame relative to said posts.

In a lifting carrier of the class described, the combination of a frame having spaced tubular side elements, posts slidably mounted within said elements, a roller carried at the lower end of each of said posts, a lifting foot extending forwardly on the frame, means for slidably raising the frame with respect to said posts to pick up a load on said foot, said means including a transverse shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, a pair of cams fixed to the shaft, follower elements on the posts adapted to cooperate with the cams, and bumper means extending forwardly on the upper portion of the frame adapted to provide clearance for operation of the cams with respect to the load.

4. In a lifting carrier of the class described, the combination of a frame having spaced side elements, a cross brace connecting said elements,

4 posts slidably mounted on said elements, a lifting foot on the frame, means for slidably raising the frame with respect to said posts to pick up a load on said foot, said means including a shaft rotatably mounted on said side elements, cams fixed on the shaft, follower elements on the posts adapted to cooperate with the cams, and a manually operated lever fixed to the shaft, the shape of the cams being such that the frame is first raised and then lowered slightly as the lever is moved from inoperative position toward contact with the said cross brace.

5. In a lifting carrier of the class described, the combination of a frame, posts slidably mounted relative to the frame, a lifting foot on the frame, means for slidably raising the frame with respect to said posts to pick up a load on said foot, said means including a rotatable cam, a manually operated lever adapted to rotate the cam, the shape of the cam and the angular position of the lever with respect thereto acting to permit movement of the cam to an over center position, and means on the frame adapted to contact said lever to maintain the cam in such position.

6. In a lifting carrier of the class described, the combination of a b frame, posts slidably mounted relative to the frame, a lifting foot on the frame, means for slidably raising the frame with respect to said posts to pick up a load on said foot, said means including a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, a cam fixed on the shaft, a manually operated lever fixed on the shaft and adapted to rotate the cam, the shape of the cam and the angular position of the lever with respect thereto acting to permit movement of the cam to an over center position, and means on the frame adapted to contact said lever to maintain the cam in such position.

'7. In a lifting carrier of the class described, the combination of a frame, posts slidably mounted relative to the frame, a roller carried at the lower end of each of said posts, a lifting foot on the frame near the rollers, means for slidably raising the frame with respect to said posts to pick up a load on said foot, said means including a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, discs fixed eccentrically on said shaft, a manually operated lever fixed on the shaft and adapted to rotate the discs, follower elements carried on the posts and cooperating with said discs, the angular relationship of the eccentric discs and the lever being such that the frame is first raised and then lowered slightly as the lever'is rotated in one direction, and means on the frame adapted to limit movement of the lever in that direction.

ELMER K. FOSBENDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,008,887 Venables July 23, 1935 2,185,073 Chamberlain Dec. 26, 1939 2,258,819 Sohn Oct. 1%, 1941 

